Portable desk



June s, 195s P. RAH'ALL 2,837,394

PORTABLE DESK Filed March 14. 1957 United States Patent O ronrABLn DESKPhilip Rahall, Affton, Mo. Application March 14, 1957, senat No. 645,954

s claims. (ci. S12- 257) This invention relates tofportable desks, andparticularly to that kind of desk which can be employed over the lap ofa person seated in a chairor bed.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a desk which may befolded neatly and compactly, which is sturdy and rigid when in use,which provides storage compartments from which articles are not likelyto rbe lost when the desk is transported, which is easily carried,readily erected and folded, comfortable andv convenient to use, andwhich is simple to manufacture.

Other objects will become apparent to those skilled in the art in thelight of the following description and accompanying drawings.

In accordance with this invention, generally stated, a portable desk isprovided having a top, a pair of runnertype supports hinged beneath thetop, and a pair of receptacles secured to the top. The top is dividedinto two panels, hinged together on their under sides along abuttingedges intermediate the supports. Each of the. receptacleshas va wallprojecting above the top immediately along the abutting edge of a panel.These walls are so positioned as to engage one another when the panelsare unfolded to form the top. Each of the supports is provided with ahandle portion which extends beyond the boundaries of the top.

The top panels are grooved on their under sides to receive the supportswhen the supports are folded, so that when the panels are then folded,they fit substantially flat against one another. The receptacles areprovided With hinged doors which open in the direction of the handleportion of the supports. A back panel of each receptacle, cooperatingwith the upwardly projecting wall, braces the wall and strengthens thetop against bending. The hinging of the panels and supports is soarranged that when the desk is in folded position and the handle portionof the supports is grasped, the desk will remain folded. The supportsdiverge from one another downwardly when the desk is erected, so thatthe weight of the desk serves to prevent the supports co1- lapsingtoward one another to their folded position.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a desk constructed inaccordance with one illustrative embodiment of this invention, showingthe desk erected;

Figure 2 is a view in front elevation of the desk shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view in side elevation, of the desk shown in Figures 1 and2;

Figure 4 is a bottom plan view of the desk shown in Figure l, showingone of the supports erected and one folded;

Figure 5 is a view in perspective of the desk shown in Figure 1; and

Figure 6 is a view in perspective of the desk shown in Figure 1, folded.

Referring now to the drawing for an illustrative embodiment of thisinvention, reference numeral 1 indicates a complete desk, made up of apair of mirror-image top 2,837,394 Patented June 3, ,1958

panels 2. and 3,-runners 4 and 5, hinged to panels 2 and' 3respectively, and receptacles 6 and 7 mounted on panels 2 and 3respectively.

Panels 2 and 3 are hinged together along a straight edge by means ofhinges 10 and 11 fastened to the underV a rear leg 25, a handle section26, a front leg 27, a front' hinge bearing section 2S, terminating in afront stop foot Z9, and a rear hinge .bearing section 30, terminating ina rear foot stop 31. As shown in Figures 3 and 5, the

bottom rail 24 is preferably not parallel with the top.

of the desk, so that when the rail 24 rests on a horizontal surface, thetop slants downwardly toward the front. Hinge plates 35 are screwed tothe under surface of the top, across the channel 15, confining thebearing sections 28 and 30 within their respective grooves near theyoutboard edges of the panels. In the illustrated embodiment shown,asillustrated most clearly in Figure 4, the rear bearing section 30 ofthe support 4 is shorter than the rearxbearing section of the support 5,while the front bearing section 23 of the support 4 is longer than thefront bearingsection 28 of the support 5.

The foot 29 at the end of the front bearing section 28 of the support 4is long, while the corresponding foot 29 of the support 5 is short. Thefoot 31 at the end of the rear bearing section 30 of the support 4isshort, while the corresponding foot 3l. of the support Sis long. Thelong lfoot 29 ofthe section 4 projects, when the desk is foldedv into arecess 39 in the under side of the panel 3. The long foot 31 of thesupport 5 extends into a recess 41 in the under side of the panel 2. Inthe illustrative embodiment shown, simple buttons 45 are positioned tobe turned to hold the foot 29 of the support 4 and the foot 31 of thesupport 5 within the channel 15.

In the illustrative embodiment shown, each of the receptacles 6 and 7 isa complete box, with a bottom 51, top 52, outboard side 53, inboard side54, back and hinged front S6. The front 56 is hinged to the top 7 bymeans of hinges 57, and is provided with a pull 58. The receptacles 6and 7, are bolted to the panels 4 and S respectively by bolts runningthrough the Ibottom 51 and nuts, which seat in counter bores in theunder side of the panels, as shown in Figure 4. The receptacles 6 and 7may be compartmented in any desired way.

A simple hook latch 60 on the outboard edges of the panels 6 and 7completes the desk of this illustrative embodiment.

The fact that the supports are hinged on the outboard side of thepanels, ensures that when the desk is being carried by grasping the twohandle sections 26, the panels will be held rmly together. Likewise, thehinging of the front 56 of the receptacles is such to ensure that thedoors thus provided are held closed by gravity when the desk is beingcarried.

The front and rear legs of the supports, bearing against the wall of thechannels 15 when folded within the channels 15, relieve the supporthinges 35, of any load when the desk is carried by the handle.

The arrangement of the abutting inboard sides 54 of the receptacles isan essential part of this invention. By providing a substantial `bearingsurface above the top of the desk, on the side opposite the panel hinges10 and 11, they make such a hinging arrangement practical. Without suchan arrangement, the mechanical advantage However, they have the sameparts,

applied to the hinges, when the desk, is so great as to make thearrangement impractical. The back 55 adds strength to the structure byforming a brace for the side 54.

Numerous variations in the particularY design of the` desk, within thescope of the appended claims, will occur to those skilled in the art inthe light of the foregoing disclosure. The shapeof the panels 2 and 3,fior example, may be varied in any desired way. The outboard efdgesvofthe panels in the illustrative embodiment shown are curved, while thefront edge is straight. The front edge may `be made concave, the betterto accommodate the conliguration of the person using the desk, or theoutboard sides may be made straight to simplify the manufacture of thedesk.

Similarly, the conliguration of the supports may `he varied, for exampleto change the length of the Abottom rail or its angular relation withthe top, or to vary the shape or size of the front and back legs. Thehandle section is preferably made of a size and shape comfortably to fitthe hand of the user. The means for anchoring the supports in unfoldedposition may take any desired form. For example, a spring brace or latchmay be positioned in the groove in which the front leg lies, in such away as to snap up when the supports are unfolded. The method of mountingthe receptacles, and their construction, may also -be varied. The methodof mounting shown in the illustrative embodiment was adopted to ensurethat the receptacles are rigidly and permanently mounted when the panelsand receptacles are made of wood. If the desk is made of metal, or ofplastic, when the receptacles may be made integral with the panels, sucha bolting arrangement may not be necessary.

Thus it can be seen that a portable desk is provided which is compactand light, but at the same time is rigid and strong, which is convenientto carry and use, and which is neat and pleasing in appearance.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed and desired to besecured by Letters Patent is:

1. A portable desk comprising a top made up of panels weight is put onthe top of 'asszsea Y 4 hinged together to fold, and two runner-typesupports hinged to the under side of said top near the outboard edgesthereof, each of said supports having a handle part extending beyond anedge of said top, said handle parts meeting when the panels are foldedto form a handle by which the desk can conveniently lbe carried. 2. Aportable desk comprising a top made up of panels hinged together tofold, and two runner-type supports hinged to the under side of said topnear the outboard edges thereof, the under side of said top lbeinggrooved complementarily to the conguration of the supports and the saidsupports being hinged to fold into the grooves, each of said supportshaving a handle section, extending beyond an edge of said top, a bottomrail, and a leg extending at an angle from said bottom rail whereby,when said supports are folded into said grooves and the desk is liftedby said handle, the desk is supported by the v'bearing of the legagainst a wall dening said groove.

3. A portable desk comprising a top, said top being made up of a pair ofpanels hinged together on their under sides along contiguous edges topermit folding of the panels; a receptacle on the upper surface of eachof said top panels, each of said receptacles having a side wallextending along the hinged contiguous edge of its panel, said wallsabutting when the top panels are unfolded, a front, hinged along oneedge; and runner-type supports hinged to the under side of said panelsYtoward the outboard edge thereof, each of said supports having a handlesection projecting beyond an edge of the top', the front of thereceptacles opening in a direction toward said handle section.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,775,156 Bulkowski Sept. 9, 1930 2,747,957 Lencioni May 29, 1956V2,784,973 Nemec Mar. 12, 1957

